Naruto: My Progress in Konoha.

The next morning.

As the first ray of sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon his face, Uchiha Haruki opened his eyes.

A momentary hint of confusion flickered in his gaze, but he quickly regained clarity.

He got up, washed up, and headed to the mess hall at the outpost. After eating enough to fill his stomach, he went to find Uchiha Tekka.

Tekka, who was in the middle of assigning missions, looked surprised when he saw Haruki approaching.

"Captain, what brings you here?" he asked, addressing him formally as always.

He didn't call him by name in front of others—he still observed the appropriate decorum.

As for the reason behind his surprise?

Simple.

Haruki had long stopped concerning himself with these matters. His sudden appearance today was unexpected.

Hearing the question, Haruki waved his hand and said, "Go on, do your thing. I'm just here to observe."

Uchiha Tekka didn't press the issue and continued assigning missions to the gathered Konoha ninjas.

Once the tasks had all been handed out and the shinobi departed, Tekka walked over and asked,

"Haruki, is there something you need me to do?"

He clearly understood that Haruki wouldn't have come all the way here just to "take a look."

In the past, Haruki had always been so focused on training that he practically split each minute into two. There was no way he'd come idly wandering over.

Indeed, there was a purpose behind Haruki's appearance.

The recent activity from the Hidden Mist Village still bothered him. He felt uneasy without investigating personally.

So he intended to join Tekka on today's patrol at sea, hoping to encounter Mist-nin.

If they did, with his strength, he could easily subdue them.

At that point, with his Illusion Technique: Sharingan (Lv. 7 - Mastered), he could extract their memories with some effort.

Even if they didn't know any top secrets, bits and pieces of surface-level intel would be enough to help him form a clearer picture of the Mist's intentions.

With that in mind, Haruki said directly, "Today, I'll be joining you on the mission."

"What?!"

Tekka was stunned, unable to believe his ears.

Once Haruki explained his reasoning, Tekka realized he wasn't joking—and immediately agreed.

Of course he did. With Haruki in the team, their safety would skyrocket. Only a fool would say no.

Besides, Haruki was the actual commander of the outpost. He could go wherever he pleased—no one could stop him.

Before long, the two of them, along with over a dozen Konoha ninjas, boarded a small sailboat and set out to sea.

These types of sailboats could only navigate coastal waters. They weren't suitable for deep-sea travel—high waves or storms could sink them easily.

Luckily, their patrol didn't require them to go that far. Their task was to monitor the nearby waters and make sure Mist-nin didn't get close.

So ocean conditions weren't a major concern.

Even if the boat capsized, the distance was short enough that they could swim back on their own.

Can't walk on water?

Please—after two years of war, the kind of Genin who lacked that basic skill had long perished.

Any Genin still alive had some level of capability.

As for freshly graduated rookies? The village wouldn't let them anywhere near the front lines.

At this point, the boat was really just there to conserve chakra—no one took it too seriously.

Time ticked by slowly.

Haruki stood at the bow of the boat, watching the endless, monotonous seascape before eventually shaking his head and turning away.

"Captain?"

Beside him, Tekka seemed to want to say something.

Haruki waved his hand. "I'll leave this to you. If anything comes up, call me. I'm going to train."

With that, he walked to the stern of the boat, formed the "Rin" hand seal with both hands, and activated the Shadow Clone Technique.

With a puff, a cloud of chakra smoke erupted—nine clones appeared.

Haruki gave instructions to one of the clones to stay behind, then left the ship with the remaining eight.

Now that his strength had grown significantly, he no longer needed to be so cautious.

In the past, if this many people were present, he'd only use something like Palm Sage Jutsu to reinforce his body—he would never train openly with clones.

But now? He left just one clone behind as a communications link and took off with the others.

No one dared question it.

That's the privilege that comes with power.

However, using a shadow clone as a communications tool wasn't exactly convenient.

The only way for the clone to alert him was by dispersing, thereby sending its memories back.

If he was close by, it wasn't a problem—he could respond quickly.

But if he was far away, by the time he returned, the situation might already be over.

That was a clear flaw in the system.

There were a couple of possible workarounds:

Leave two shadow clones—one for communication, one for backup power.

Or… keep his main body on the boat.

The second option was immediately ruled out.

He could train with Palm Sage Jutsu in public—after all, using medical ninjutsu to enhance one's body wasn't some big secret.

But his Reflection Technique was different.

Haruki avoided using that jutsu in front of others—especially not in front of other Uchiha.

They might not recognize that obscure genjutsu technique, long buried by the Uchiha clan.

But what if someone did? With his stellar performance on record, suspicion could quickly follow.

Why attract unnecessary attention?

Especially in the presence of fellow Uchiha—it was best not to risk it.

As for the double clone method—one for alerts, one for defense—that worked in theory.

But it was a huge chakra drain.

Sure, Haruki had a substantial chakra pool now, but he had many techniques that required grinding. He couldn't afford that kind of waste.

So for today, this arrangement would do.

The patrol zone wasn't large—if the clone dispersed, he could rush back in no time.

But what about next time?

What if he was farther away?

Would he have to stick with the team, wasting precious time?

If so, how would his skill grinding keep pace?

At that thought, an idea Haruki had long shelved resurfaced:

"Maybe it's time I learn the Yamanaka Clan's Telepathic Communication Technique…"

Back when a Yamanaka ninja had used the jutsu to communicate with him, the idea had crossed his mind.

But without a pressing need, he hadn't followed through.

Now, however, that need existed.

The Yamanaka's Telepathic Technique—a clan-exclusive skill—could, when boosted through barriers, allow communication across dozens or even hundreds of kilometers. Its effectiveness was undeniable.

Haruki didn't expect to replicate that immediately.

As long as he could maintain communication across a few kilometers, that would be enough for him to link with his shadow clones.

With his current level of spiritual power—and having already experienced the jutsu from the receiving end several times—it wouldn't be too difficult for him to reverse-engineer something similar.

Of course, his version might differ from the Yamanaka's in execution, but as long as it worked, that didn't matter.

Still, having the idea didn't mean he'd start right away.

For now, his main focus was to grind Wind Release: Blade of Wind to max level, and then level up Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.

Only after finishing those would he have the time and energy to explore flight-based techniques—and possibly tinker with his own version of the telepathy jutsu.